As is known by those in the art, radar systems have been developed for various applications associated with vehicles, such as automobiles and boats. A radar system mounted on a vehicle detects the presence of objects including other vehicles in proximity to the vehicle. In an automotive application, such a radar system can be used in conjunction with the braking system to provide active collision avoidance or in conjunction with the automobile cruise control system to provide intelligent speed and traffic spacing control. In a further application, the vehicle radar system provides a passive indication of obstacles to a driver of the vehicle on a display, and in particular, detects objects in a blind spot of the vehicle.
Rear and side view mirrors of various sizes and features are typically used in an effort to improve visualization of blind spots. For example, convex mirrors provide a larger view than flat mirrors. However, objects viewed in a convex mirror appear farther away than their actual distance from the vehicle. Also, the view through mirrors degrades during conditions of rain, snow, or darkness.